Am I being cynical?

[randyt]

About four weeks ago I hired 29 year old apprentice. Anyhoo he worked a week and hurt his knee that weekend and needed time off the following week. Then he came back to work for a week and then that weekend he got the flu and needed another week off. Now he's ready to come back to work but I am a skeptic. I hardly ever and maybe never miss work due to unplanned reasons. Heck, I had triple hernia surgery and was back to work in the field in a week. Crap can happen but my gut tells me he is wasting my time.

[welderguy]

If my employees ask off for medical reasons I request a note from a Dr clearing them to return to work. Especially if they claim an injury.

[Rick]

I have to agree with Welderguy. If he has an injury then I'd want a release before I let him come back to work. Especially if it's something that would be problematic for the job he has to do. Like a knee or back injury and he does lifting. That just protects you from an "on the job" injury claim later. Don't forget to check his facebook too. You might just find he's posted a pick of himself in the bar that week or out riding his ATV.

My experience is my gut doesn't lie. If it tells me something is hokey it's generally hokey. At the least I'd let him know he's on probation and any missed time over the next XX weeks would be grounds for discipline up to and including dismissal. 3% absenteeism is my bogey and anything above that is a problem that has to be dealt with.

[Jessthebuilder]

My company hires a lot of "temps". We have the same problem with most of them. Like you said anyone can have a bad day or two, but if it's habitual I'd cut your losses. Most guys that want to work....work. If he's dodging work this early it's probably going to get worse. Next will be time off for the girlfriend or a sick dog. I'd sit down and have a serious conversation. Make sure you are both on the same page. That's just my opinion. Good luck.

[karatediver]

As a long time employer I have seen people legitimately get a run of bad luck. Otherwise, how is his performance on the job? If he does good work and the issues appear legit you might want to give him a little more time. A good friend of mine had his appendix rupture the first week on the job for a new company. Bad luck does happen once in a while. A hard worker with legitimate issues may become one of your best employees if he feels that he was treated well through his period of bad luck.

[hunter63]

I would have serious talk with him now......sounds like this guy doesn't want to work.
25 years of factory supervision, I go by gut feeling as well..........Lots of leakers out there.

[randyt]

I'll probably go with my gut on this. I've hired employees for 25 years my BS meter is spot on, no sense second guessing myself.

[crashdive123]

Can't disagree with anything that's been said.

[gryffynklm]

All of the above +1.

[hunter63]

Ya, know around here an apprentice is kinda expected to tow the line......so that in itself tells me that he doesn't want to work.

I had several in the sheet metal industry to train......none lasted very long....most were there because some one vouched for them.....son, nephew, DD boyfriend, what ever and none really wanted to be there.

Some one drops my tools, then steps on them.......I mean really?

[JPGreco]

I find it odd that everything required a week off. I mean, I get sick, I may take a day or two, but I gotta be REALLY sick to take a week (never happened as far as I can remember). Hell, I usually go to work sick. I'm pretty sure I broke my wrist and still worked. It was a ***** using my hammer left handed for a couple of weeks, but I managed. Is there a chance that he just had a real bad run of luck, yeah. We just had a guy out over a week due to some stomach virus. I'm with the guys who said if he works hard and does a good job while there, tell him whats what and that this is it. He better be dead if he wants any more time off anytime soon and even then you want a Dr.'s note. However, if he sucked while there, get rid of him.

The irony of this is I just had a piss poor day at work myself and accomplished next to nothing

[randyt]

A couple things don't jive for me. He said the dr gave him antibiotics for the flu, I thought the flu was a virus.The other day he had his wife call him in sick. I told her to have him call me before he comes in. Well in less than 20 seconds I got a call from him. The thing that puzzled me is that the caller id identified the phone number as the phone that belongs to his friend. I was puzzled because if he was sick why was he hanging out at his buddies? Maybe he borrowed his phone for a couple days, I guess. Why didn't he call from his wife's phone, maybe I am just a cynical SOB.

[hunter63]

No....don't think so in this instance....just going with the gut.

[Rick]

Hey, it's your business you get to be a cynical SOB if you want. You don't owe him or anyone else anything. One of the upsides of owning the business (one of the few upsides) is you get to set the rules and others have to follow 'em. You're beating yourself up over nothing. The second question you ask yourself is, "Can you replace him". Typically, in today's market that answer is yes but given your area I don't know. If you can then don't sweat it. Get someone that wants to work for you and don't let him make you feel bad about it, which is what's happening now.

[randyt]

I have already replaced him with another apprentice. There is too much going on right now to be wondering if somebody is going to show up or not. I trust my gut.

[JRLG]

that was the right move to let him go. A week with the flu, he would have lost some weight if you get my drift and also my corporate employer is very understanding of needing time off due to illness but unless it's something really serious anyone who pulls that kind of sick time (two full weeks) under 90 days doesn't come back on the 91st. Sucks not having a job but doesn't sound like he wanted it.

[WolfVanZandt]

The ID from the friends house would have done it for me. I think you did right but, just to correct a misconception.....one of the reason we're getting so many resistant strains of bacteria is doctors giving antibiotics for viruses and they do it because they know their patients want it. Anything to keep the customers happy, y'know.

[crashdive123]

I always told my employees or Shipmates that I would always believe them until they gave me a reason not to believe them. In my civilian life when I had a sales person or service employee tell me that they couldn't do the job. my response was always the same......"I believe you. I'll check you out of your truck and get you a ride home in just a minute". In the military, my strategy was a little different. I have long believed the line in my signature --- Can't means won't.

[Rick]

The ID from the friends house would have done it for me. I think you did right but, just to correct a misconception.....one of the reason we're getting so many resistant strains of bacteria is doctors giving antibiotics for viruses and they do it because they know their patients want it. Anything to keep the customers happy, y'know.

I would suggest that the bigger problem is folks not following instructions on usage and or the wrong antibiotic targeted to the bacteria. Not killing all of the bacteria allows some to mutate and develop resistance. They are smart little buggers. But we certainly do throw antibiotics at just about everything including the meat we eat.

[Wildthang]

First give him a verbal reprimand and document it in your journal, second occurance give him a written reprimand, and on the third occurance you can fire him without reprocutions if that is what you want to do! Normally people that don't like to work, love to sue!